Testimonials

"Previously, a lot of time was spent on follow up phone calls to check on the progress of referrals. We now receive and send instant feedback, and then have a permanent record of the transaction for future reference."

I've been using eReferral since its introduction to our service in 2007. I use it daily to make and receive referrals and check on feedback. I also train staff in-house and access the system to support staff with S2S queries. I work in a job share with an OT colleague. In our community based work, we need to make a high number of external referrals to agencies such as the local council, Personal Alert Victoria and a range of other community based agencies. We also receive a high number of referrals via S2S. S2S gives us the tools to send and receive referrals and monitor their status in a time efficient and user friendly way. The system also enables a closer interface with our duty worker. These benefits of course lead to a much better service for our clients.

Prior to S2S, some referrals required the completion of many pages of SCOTTS, which was extremely time consuming and not environmentally friendly! Now we can attach the SCOTTS that have already been completed on our Electronic Health System, Trakcare, which saves time in duplicating the same paperwork. The features, such as 'copy a referral', also save time. The system is also a great advantage in the job share. If either of us receives an enquiry about the status of a referral, we have immediate access to the system, making our job share much more seamless.

The system of receiving feedback via emailed updates on change of status is also invaluable. Previously, a lot of time was spent on follow up phone calls to check on the progress of referrals. We now receive and send instant feedback, and then have a permanent record of the transaction for future reference. It works in with our electronic client files in that I can cut and paste responses directly into the file.

Another feature is the ability to place referrals in 'Draft'. This is a useful feature as interruptions are common and it is not always possible to complete a referral in one sitting. It also enables a referral to sit on hold if required.

Finally, a common record of external referrals is a useful tool for the service and organisation as a whole, as it assists us to track our referral numbers, referral source etc, so that we can monitor our service more closely.

S2S is a user friendly electronic tool for external referrals, which has directly benefited clients in receiving and making external referrals for them and providing an instant record if a client or carer enquires about the progress of a referral. It has also enhanced connections between local community based services.

S2S is extremely user friendly, and in training staff with the system it's good to be able to say 'when in doubt hit the home button'! Compared to other electronic systems, it's not too 'breakable' and does give you feedback if you've missed a step. The layout makes sense too, so that you can often find what you need if you search for it.

The S2S team are a major benefit of the system. How wonderful to have a live help button! I've made many calls to the help desk both as an OT and as an S2S in-house trainer and issues can usually be solved immediately eg lost passwords etc. I also appreciate the staff support via email, receiving responses quickly. And I have to say, the team has been extremely approachable and patient. Thankyou!

Karen Shaw
Occupational Therapist
Inner South Community Health Service - Prahran site

"Poor referral information was common to many referrals prior to using the S2S system making it difficult to prioritise referrals on a needs basis."

I have been using the eReferral System daily for 15 months and find it easy to use. As a referral coordinator the S2S system allows me to oversee referral acknowledgements and assess timely action on incoming referrals. It provides all the SCTT information relevant to the referral and enables me to monitor status changes and service provision without having to source client files or contact practitioners for feedback. Poor referral information was common to many referrals prior to using the S2S system making it difficult to prioritise referrals on a needs basis.

The SCTT formats of the S2S system provide consumer and referral summary information that in the past would have necessitated a phone call to the client or their health professional to collect that information. The system also makes it easier to collect data and monitor timely action on referrals and it is time saving in making new referrals as consumer details are often already in the system. Referral history is also useful when coordinating care plans for clients. The system enables me to manage tasks quicker and monitor actions & responses easily. The coordination of the referrals is made easier and the system allows me to also coordinate with other agencies better.

S2S support has been really good in responding and solving any issues that I've had. Referral options to outside agencies are quick and easy to find and Acknowledgement by the receiver is assurance that the referral has been received.

Lyndy Fitzsimmons
Referral Coordinator
Allied Health Assistant, HACC, Allied Health & PAC referral coordinator
Orbost Regional Health.

"The S2S system meets the needs of busy workers; once mastered it is very useful."

I am an RN and I work as one of Glen Eira councils assessment officers. I access the eReferral system for HACC service provision in both the aged and disability areas. I have been using the S2S eReferral system for just over a year now and I use it a few times each week.

Using this system allows me to send multiple referrals at one time and a record of all sent referrals is listed as a reference. The system meets our privacy of information needs and reduces paper waste. It helps me to save time, manage tasks faster, cope with my work load, better coordinate with other agencies and service my clients better.

The system sends automatic notifications when the receiver of a referral has actioned it. I like knowing that a referral has been received and acknowledged and that it has reached its intended recipient without the need to chase or follow up. I think a very important part of my role is referring on when needed as often a client only requires appropriate referrals not service provision. A comprehensive assessment including referring onto other agencies is an essential part of providing good care. S2S allows me to do this and feel confident that the referral will be received by the intended recipient.

I have only needed to contact the support team twice, initially to set up and then with support to find an agency not listed.

Judy Hagerty
In home support Assessment
Glen Eira Council

"ISS is an indispensable asset to the Whitehorse community. It allows health and welfare professionals to instantly find extensive, accurate information about the services their patients and clients need".

Brett Wake
Service Coordination Project Manager
Central East Primary Care Partnership

"By using ISS we have enjoyed incredible improvements in the access to information… which has encouraged communication amongst local doctors and increased access to services for their patients. Infoxchange were very responsive to our particular search and functionality requirements further ensuring that ISS is user friendly for GPs". Shearer estimates that using ISS saves the Whitehorse Division of General Practice approximately $10,000 per year.

Marianne Shearer
Executive Manger
Whitehorse Division of General Practice

"Referrals by eReferral do not go astray and the forms are easy to follow"

I work in intake with Banyule City Council in Aged & Disability services. I have been using S2S eReferral since its inception and now it's my regular work tool.

I find it much more convenient to receive electronic referrals from participating agencies and much easier to send referrals to various service providers.

Prior to S2S eReferral I used to deal with handwritten and faxed referrals, this involved numerous inconveniences; faxes were often sent to wrong departments, data provided about a client was insufficient or outdated and handwriting was illegible. All these issues have been alleviated by S2S eReferral. I can be confident that referrals do not go astray and that
work will be done efficiently.

Being a technophile I was initially very apprehensive about using S2S eReferral. But after repeated use it became easier & easier for me, and I now feel completely comfortable working with the system.

I can see that S2S eReferral has been designed with the needs of human service agencies in mind, as it blends well into my daily work practice. Electronic forms are easy to follow and the web interface is convenient. If I have any queries I know I can contact the S2S Support Team or request further S2S Training.

S2S eReferral saves me a lot of paper work and time spent on follow-ups. It enables more efficient coordination with other agencies. My clients are happier as they get the service they require sooner. Using S2S eReferral I no longer need to worry about so many small things and I have more confidence in providing service to my clients.

I truly appreciate the benefits S2S eReferral provides.

Janet Trupp
Assessment/Intake
Banyule City Council

"With S2S eReferral I can be confident the referral will be received and be secure"

I assess the provision of home facilities for people with a disability in a rural community. Receiving referrals and requesting services are a day to day part of my work, requiring constant interaction with other agencies.

I started using S2S eReferral in January 2005 and it helped me to significantly streamline the whole referral process. Previously I used to fax referrals to other agencies which created a lot of issues with security and efficiency. I was often uncertain as to whether the appropriate person had received the fax and therefore unsure whether actions had been taken to provide the required service to a client.

I have found S2S eReferral efficient and I am confident the referral will be received securely.I now use S2S eReferral most of the time when I work and it saves me a lot of time in the referral process and makes my workload easier to cope with.

I am able to better coordinate with other agencies thanks to the option of feedback on my referrals. The feedback loop helps me to better manage my clients' cases by providing them with timely services and care.

I still fax INI forms to agencies and programs not using S2S eReferral. I now experience frustration with the slowness of writing out client information and the process of faxing.

I think it will be entirely beneficial for all service providers to use S2S eReferral as it significantly streamlines referral coordination. It will be good to see more agencies using S2S eReferral.

I also find the S2S Training and Support teams very helpful and responsive and would like to thank the S2S Team for developing affordable technological solutions that support community services.

Annabelle Bishop
Occupational Therapy Coordinator
Department of Human Services
Colac Area Health

"eReferral provides a secure and certain pathway from referrer to service provider"

I've been working as an Emergency Care Co-ordinator at Box Hill Hospital for the last four and a half years and in this time I have been using S2S eReferral on a daily basis to coordinate referrals and services for my clients.

S2S eReferral is a virtually foolproof method of ensuring referrals end up in the right hands quickly.

Our program at the Emergency Department needs to be able to make timely referrals that are acknowledged promptly. It also needs to have access to information about other service providers and their criteria for acceptance of referrals. These two vital needs cannot be met in a paper-based system but have been easily resolved by S2S eReferral. There were issues with security in a fax-based system and with navigation in a phone-based system - it was often difficult
to reach the appropriate person.

S2S eReferral facilitates the referral process by providing a secure and certain pathway from referrer to service provider, and around the network of users. S2S eReferral system is superior because it is client-based rather than referrer-based. It allows me to track full client information, previous referrals and comments and in the same time meet all the necessary privacy issues. Now I can easily get a "Big Picture" overview.

SCoTT is a requirement for referral to most service providers, whether paper or electronically based. Using SCoTT in S2S eReferral makes the referral process infinitely faster than previously and it undoubtedly saves me a lot of time.

I look forward to the expansion of the system to include other Primary Care Partnerships because it will make the workloads of my colleagues and myself more manageable and cohesive.

Ann-Marie Deeker
Emergency Care Co-ordinator
Box Hill Hospital

"Infoxchange Service Seeker allows health and welfare professionals to instantly find extensive, accurate information about the services their patients and clients need"

"More and more, people rely on IT driven solutions and on-line community service information when they need help. I know that as a result of our work with Infoxchange, the service that we provide through the City of Melbourne website
plays an important role in the local community".

John So
Melbourne Lord Mayor (2001 - 2008)

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